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Frequently Asked Questions
Most Popular Questions
How would I proceed to have a wind turbine installed at my home? |
By contacting Kestrel Wind Turbines directly, or a Kestrel dealer, your power requirements can be assessed and the right turbine can be found to suit your needs. The dealer will help you order and install your turbine, or you can set it up yourself. This approach is not recommended unless you have some level of electrical expertise. Either way, Kestrel or its dealers are here to support your investment in personal renewable power.
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What would you use a small wind turbine for? |
A small wind system can be used on-grid (for a cottage, home, farm, or business) or off-grid (for a boat, RV, cottage, home, farm, business, remote community, or remote station):
- For on-grid, small wind can help supplement your grid electricity and reduce your dependancy on the local electrical utility.
- For off-grid, small wind can help provide electricity to remote locations for both seasonal or year-round use.
- For isolated grids (not connected to the national electrical grid), small wind can help reduce the use of diesel generators, thereby saving fuel costs and reducing pollution.
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Is it suitable for my home? |
We would say, without a doubt, it is suitable - but, then again, we are the proud manufacturers. To offer an objective opinion is impossible, so here is the Energy Saving Trust's point of view:
Individual turbines vary in size and power output from a few hundred watts to two or three megawatts (as a guide, a typical domestic system would be 1 - 6 kilowatts). Uses range from very small turbines supplying energy for battery charging systems (e.g. on boats or in homes), to turbines on wind farms supplying electricity to the grid.
You should consider the following issues if you're thinking about small scale wind. An accredited installer will be able to provide more detailed advice.
- Wind speed increases with height so it's best to have the turbine high on a mast or tower.
- Generally speaking the ideal site is a smooth top hill with a flat, clear exposure, free from excessive turbulence and obstructions such as large trees, houses or other buildings.
- Small scale wind power is particularly suitable for remote off grid locations where conventional methods of supply are expensive or impractical.
Please note that the electricity generated at any one time by a wind turbine is highly dependent on the speed and direction of the wind. The windspeed itself is dependent on a number of factors, such as location within the UK, height of the turbine above ground level and nearby obstructions. Ideally, you should undertake a professional assessment of the local windspeed for a full year at the exact location where you plan to install a turbine before proceeding. In practice, this may be difficult, expensive and time consuming to undertake. Therefore we recommend that, if you are considering a domestic building mounted installation and electricity generation is your main motivation, then you only consider a wind turbine under the following circumstances:
- The local annual average windspeed is 6 m/s or more. An approximate figure for your location can be checked on the BERR website
- There are no significant nearby obstacles such as buildings, trees or hills that are likely to reduce the windspeed or increase turbulence
If you are in any doubt, please consult a suitably qualified professional.
Planning issues such as visual impact, noise and conservation issues also have to be considered. System installation normally requires permission from the local authority, so it's important to always check with your local authority about planning issues before you have a system installed. |
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What is the pricing of the Kestrel turbines? |
Because of the many application possibilities and types of systems, we cannot release prices. So, you can either contact a distributor using the Distributor Locator or send an enquiry by clicking HERE.
Please remember to include the following details:
- Your location. So that we can tell you the average wind speed in your area.
- Your requirements. You can calculate your own requirement using this Power Calculator or you can simply send a list of appliances.
- The intended application. Simply, as a back-up power source, to decrease your grid power use, to pump water, to use as an educational tool etc etc.
This way we can attend to your need and make accurate recommendations as the system type and size. |
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What are the issues to be aware of when dealing with small wind? |
Safety. Modern wind turbines are very safe and can operate for many years without any problems. However, it is critical that safety precautions be taken when installing and operating a small wind turbine. One issue to consider in northern climates is ice accumulation on the blades. Hydrogen venting from batteries is another potential issue. Climbing of towers by the owner or maintenance persons is a potential liability. Special safety precautions are required if children have access to the system.
Extreme weather. In some parts of the country, the environment is very hard on equipment and can cause operational and durability problems for the wind energy system and batteries. Special turbine components, lubricants, and maintenance schedules may be required to keep the turbine in optimal generating condition. Corrosion of system parts at locations close to the ocean can also be a problem.
Neighbours. The proximity of a wind turbine to a neighbour's property should be discussed with the neighbour before proceeding with a wind energy system purchase. As a rule of thumb, a turbine should be sited at least one or two times the tower height from any property lines.
Aesthetics. The visibility of a particular wind system will depend on many factors, including tower height, proximity to neighbors and roadways, local terrain, and tree coverage. A wind turbine can affect your view or that of your neighbours, and it might block or change an historic landscape. In most areas of Canada, wind turbines are also an uncommon sight so it is natural to expect some local reservations about their introduction. Objections are more likely to occur in populated and tourist areas. Opposition is least likely to surface in rural settings.
Noise. The noise level of a turbine depends on several factors, including local wind characteristics (i.e. gusting and rapid changes in direction), terrain (flat v. hilly) and the design of the turbine itself. Most modern turbines are not disruptive as long as they are properly sited. For more details, see our
Social, Environmental, and Other Considerations page.
Zoning and Other Legal Issues. Local municipal offices should have information on restrictions with respect to acceptable noise levels and permissible tower height.
 Local wildlife. Small wind turbines can pose a danger to birds in certain conditions. However, as shown in the graph at right (
Source: Erickson, et.al, 2002. "Summary of Anthropogenic Causes of Bird Mortality"), wind turbines are far less of a danger to birds than buildings or household cats. To minimize any potential problems, avoid siting a wind energy system on a migration route or where many birds nest and feed. The system should also be designed to reduce perching and nesting opportunities. This is typically not a problem with smaller systems. See our
Social, Environmental, and Other Considerations page for more on wildlife issues.
Electromagnetic interference (EMI). Small wind turbines, such as those sized for residential and farm use, have not been found to create interference with television signals. In fact, small wind systems are commonly used today to power remote telecommunication stations for both military and commercial uses. Most wind turbines use blades made of wood, fiberglass or composite materials that don't cause reception problems. Many years ago, a few wind turbines equipped with long, metallic blades did cause some localized problems, but they are no longer commonly used. |
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What are the benefits of small wind? |
Environment. Wind energy is non-polluting, and reduces the demand for higher-impact electricity from thermal stations (e.g. oil, natural gas, coal), hydroelectric dams and nuclear generators.
Energy Independence. Wind turbine systems can assist you in gaining more independence from your local utility. They can also make you less susceptible to power interruptions from the grid.
Cost. Wind energy systems are one of the most cost-effective home-based renewable energy systems. Depending on your wind resource, a small wind energy system can lower your electricity bill by up to 100%. They can also help you avoid rising and volatile electricity prices.
Remote Electricity Generation. If you are at a distance from existing grid lines, generating your own electricity helps you avoid the high costs of having utility power line extensions.
Complements Solar PV. Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems generate more electricity when there are more hours of sunshine and higher intensity sunshine (i.e. during the summer). Wind turbines generate more electricity when there are more hours of wind per day and higher intensity winds (i.e. during the winter). This makes wind an excellent complement to solar PV in a renewable electricity system. |
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How is small wind different than large wind energy? |
Small wind turbines are very different than large wind turbines. Large turbines, often grouped in wind farms, are widely used by utilities across Canada to provide grid electricity. Although small wind turbines may look like "miniature" versions of these large turbines, they are actually very different. Compared to large wind, small wind involves different:
- Purchase decisions. The decision to install a large wind turbine is largely based on financial considerations such as return on investment and payback. In contrast, the decision to install a small wind turbine can be based on a wide variety of factors including energy independence, energy price stability and a desire to make a personal or corporate contribution to a cleaner environment. These "soft" components do not have a numerical value that figures into typical cost payback calculations.
- Value of generated electricity.
"Large wind" generates electricity at the wholesale price while small wind systems offset utility supplied electricity at the retail price level. Note that in certain cases, small wind can produce power at less than half the cost of "traditional" electricity sources (e.g.
northern or remote communities with diesel electric generators).
- Technology. Small wind turbines involve different materials and technologies, including the mechanisms for transferring energy.
- Installation requirement. Small wind installations involve different by-laws, tax treatment and local installation requirements than large wind. There are also differences in terms of the requirements for wind studies and environmental assessments.
Detailed information on large wind turbines can be found on the main CanWEA site. |
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What are the sizes that Kestrel manufactures? |
The e150 (600W), e220 (800W), e300i (1kW) and e400i (3kW).
To give you an idea of their capability, these diagrams show the total number of appliances and time used for each turbine in the Cape Town, Saldanha Bay, Malmesbury and Paarl area. This is also the reason we need your location when you contact us.
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e150 |
e220 |
e300i |
e400i |
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2000 Wh per day |
3500 Wh per day |
6000 Wh per day |
17500 Wh per day |
*pictures are clickable |
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